Wire cutter



Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES WIRE CUTTER Martin L. Rowe, Chicago, Ill., assigner to The Gerrard Company, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 22, 1936, SerialNo. 81,220

2 Claims.

When newspapers are sent out to the news dealers, they are usually tied up in bundles with wires which keep the papers from getting separated and also prevent unauthorized removal of any of the papers. The dealers, upon receipt of the bundles, have to cut the wire before they can getv any of the papers out, and this cutting is usually done with pliers.

Even the cheapest pliers which can be used for this work cost quite a bit, and as it is customary to furnish the dealers with pliers and a large number are required, this represents a substantial item of expense. Furthermore, pliers have to be turned into just the right position before they can be used to twist and break a wire, which takes up time and delays to that extent the opening of the bundles. Moreover, as pliers are used for many other different purposes, they are likely to be misplaced, and experience has shown they are frequently not at hand when needed for this purpose.

The object of the present invention is to provide a wire cutting device which is simple, light and compact, can be used to sever wire when held in any position between the fingers, will do the work easily and quickly, costs practically nothing to manufacture, and is likely to be available for use at all times due to its convenient size and lack of utility for other purposes.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is presented herein for the purpose of exemplication, but it will of course be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other slightly modied structural forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bundle of newspapers tied with wire;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the cutter; and

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the cutter.

The cutter which is shown in the drawing consists of a hardened metal disk I0 which is provided about its periphery with a number of uniformly spaced radial slots II. The disk is provided at its center with an aperture I2 which facilitates centering of the disk between the ngers and allows the disk to be either hung over a hook or strung on a cord.

The disk is preferably about 1% inches in diameter and inch in thickness, with the slots about 1/8 inch in length and .049 inch in width, but dimensions other than these can of course be employed. Slots of this particular size will work effectively with 1'71/2 or 18 gauge wire, which is the wire usually employed in the bundling of newspapers.

When newspapers are tied into a bundle by means of wire, one wire I3 is placed about the 5 bundle lengthwise of the same and a second wire I4 is placed about the bundle at right angles to the rst wire. The stacked papers are compressed somewhat by the wires, which are tied under tension. Both of the wires of course have lo to be removed in order to permit the free removal of the papers.

With the slotted disk I0 the cutting of the wires is a simple matter. The disk is grasped in any position between the thumb and forei'lnger, and the rounded edge of the disk beyond the thumb is pressed against the bundle with the nearest slot I I straddling the wire to be severed. The papers in the bundle will yield enough to allow the wire to be bottomed in the slot without difficulty, and when the disk is now twisted briskly first in one direction and then in the other through but a portion of a turn the tensioned wire will immediately snap. The curvature of the edge of the disk at opposite sides of the particular slot used presents a blunt nose to the papers, which eliminates the likelihood of digging into and injuring the outermost paper, which damage is of frequent occurrence when ordinary pliers are used.

I claim:

1. A one-piece wire cutter comprising a single thin flat metal disk which is provided about its periphery with a number of radial slots and is characterized by opposed finger-engaging surfaces by means of which the disk may be gripped r adjacent any one of the slots and twisted back and forth with considerable leverage whereby to cause a wire positioned in such adjacent slot to be broken by the abrupt bending to which it is subjected by the edges of the slo-t.

2. A one-piece wire cutter comprising a single thin at centrally apertured metal disk of circular form which is provided about its periphery with a number of uniformly spaced radial slots and is characterized by opposed finger-engaging surfaces by means of which the disk may' be gripped adjacent any one of the slots and twisted back and forth with considerable leverage whereby to cause a wire positioned in such adjacent slot to be broken by the abrupt bending to which it is subjected by the edges of the slot.

MARTIN L. ROWE. 

